Inner tire



' Nov. 27, 1923.

A. J, STEPHENS INNER TIRE Filed May 27. 1920 Patented Nov. 27, 1.923.

PATENT lOFFlCE.

ANDREW J'. STEPHENS, OF'KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

INNER TIRE. v

Application tiled May 27,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and -State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Inner Tire, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a novel liner adapted to be placed on a tire casing, to lessen the'liability of puncture and to'reinforce the casing.

the precise embodiment of the invention' shown can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l shows in side elevation, a' tire' casing whereunto the device forming the subject matter of this application has vbeen applied; Figure 2 is a section takenv on the line 2--2 .of Figure l; and Figure 3 is a fragmentalplan showingthe liner laid flat.

The vnumeral l denotes a tire casing of any desired form the same being` provided, if desired with clincher beads. Within the .casing is disposed the liner^ or inner tire,

so called, forming the subject matter of this application. The liner comprises la body 3 which, ifdesired, may be made of canvas. On the liner 3 is superposed a tread 4, the tread 4 being made of cushion stock and including an inner member 5 and an outer member 6. The outer member 6 is somewhat narrower than the inner member 5, the body 3 lbeing Wider than the member 5, so as to for flaps 7, adapted to be folded across the beads?. as indicated at 8. The-flaps 7 are provided adjacent to theiredges with eyelets 9 ladapted to receive hooks 10 on flex-- ible elements 11, which may be pieces of wire, the flexible elements extending'across the tread portion of the casing 1. rEhe' liner is of endless annular form and, thus, is to' be distinguished from blowout patches and the. like, which, ordinarily, are not more than from six to ten inches long.. The liner vas on canvas.

1920. Serial No. 384,678.

snugly within the casing l. The detachable fastenings ll are used temporarily, to hold the liner in place until the casing and the liner, with the inner tube (not shown) have been mounted on the wheel rim. After the parts have been mounted on the rim as above alluded to, the members 10, generally, are removed. Owing to the fact that the members 5 and 6 are made of cushion stock, there is no overheating, due to the friction of can- If desired, the part 6 of the tread may be supplied with recess 15, constituting vacuum cups, which, cooperating with the casing 1 serve to prevent relative circumferential creeping and relative transverse movement between the liner and the casing. Acasing reinforced by a device constructed in accordance' with this invention will be effective to resist puncture to a marked degree. y It will be understood, of

course, that the body 3 and the parts 5 and 6.of the tread 4 are cemented together, vulcanized or otherwise united according to any of the known methods of the tire builders art.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is Ay liner for tire casings, comprising an endless annular member which isU-shapcd in cross section.. said member comprising a textile body and a cushion stock tread, the

body beingextended beyond both edges of the tread to form flaps which are foldable across the edges of a tire casing, the tread being made upof inner and outer members, the inner member being wider than the outer member and extending substantially to the lines where the body is folded to form the flaps, the outer member being provided on its outer surface with recesses, the recesses extending but part way through the outer member to form vacuum cups adapted toen- 'gage the inner surface of a tire casing and hermctically sealed at their inner ends., the inner member forming a resilient backing for the :thinned portions of the outer member which, lie at the inner ends of there- 1 CBSSBS.

yIn testimony that I claim the foreging as my own, I have hereto .affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses'.

ANDREW J. STEPHENS. Witnesses: N. EQTBEGO, J. E. FLEMING. 

